Writing for the Sunday Times, he said: "Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived at Manchester United on a free transfer and, for 80 minutes, he played like the kind of free transfer who had just bagged one last contract."

So underwhelmed was Cascarino that he not only predicted Ibrahimovic would struggle in the Premier League, but also compared him to none other than Liverpool flop Mario Balotelli.

"I think he will have a few quiet games and maybe when he's been quiet and on the brink of being left out the fans might start to turn," he added.

"He can seem a bit like Mario Balotelli at times, strolling around and that can be frustrating for fans to see, particularly if times get tough.

"I would be very surprised if he manages to score 20 goals or more this season."

Ibrahimovic certainly looked rusty against Leicester - he lost possession on a number of occasions - but to liken his playing style to Balotelli's is perhaps a stretch too far.

The former Paris Saint-Germain hitman will need time to adapt to his new surroundings at the Theatre of Dreams and, let's not forget, the Premier League is widely regarded as football's most demanding and physical division.

In truth, it wouldn't come as a great surprise if Ibrahimovic does struggle in England's top-flight.

Having played at Barcelona, Inter Milan, AC Milan and PSG, the former Sweden international is used to dominating and will be unaccustomed to playing in a league with such vast competition.

After all, United will be challenging the likes of Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Leicester and Liverpool for the title.

Quite how Ibrahimovic will cope with the rigours of English football remains to be seen but, if anyone can handle it, it's the self-proclaimed 'God of Manchester'.

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